Disk Utility reports minor repair required - how risky is this?

I was verifying permissions the other day and thought I'd check the hard drive as well. When running the verify hard drive it stopped with an error report as follows:
Volume Header needs minor repair
The Volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired
Error the underliying task reported failure on exit. 1HFS volume checked. Volume needs repair.
The Macbook seem to be running fine. Should I run the repair or leave it. Someone once told me that if the Disk Utility fails to repair the problem it can leave the disk unusable. Any truth in that?
Thanks
Michael
iMac G4 15" flat screen : MacBook 1.83 (Tiger) Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Directory structure issues can lead to freezing, general slowness, startup issues (computer may not startup all the way), Applications or files may not open.
It is usually suggested to repair the disk with Disk Utility that came with the computer or a disk utility that is compatible with the operating system that you are using.
Here are some articles from Apple's knowledge base. Some are technical:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302411
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=13628
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=7565
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=19516
Directory structure issues usually are not HW issues, but is the way the computer or OS, stores/sorts information on the Hard drive.

Similar Messages

Disk Utility Reports Permissions Repaired, but Don't Verify

I run permissions repair (as I've been having kernel panics), and there is a bunch of stuff that gets reported as fixed. However, as soon as the repair is complete, if I run Verify Disk Permissions, it reports back the same errors.
See the log below:
*Repairing permissions for “Hybrid”*
Permissions differ on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/MacOS/Flash Player", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are -rwxrwxr-x .
Repaired "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/MacOS/Flash Player".
User differs on "private/var/at", should be 0, user is 1.
Repaired "private/var/at".
Permissions differ on "usr/lib/libpcap.A.dylib", should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -r-xr-xr-x .
Repaired "usr/lib/libpcap.A.dylib".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/sandbox/mDNSResponder.sb", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/sandbox/mDNSResponder.sb".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/dt.jar", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/dt.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/jce.jar", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/jce.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/jconsole.ja r", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/jconsole.ja r".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/management- agent.jar", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/management- agent.jar".
User differs on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib", should be 0, user is 95.
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/dt.jar", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/dt.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/jce.jar", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/jce.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/management -agent.jar", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/management -agent.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/security/b lacklist", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib/security/b lacklist".
User differs on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Libraries", should be 0, user is 95.
Repaired "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Libraries".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/Support/Deploy.bundle/Contents/Resources/JavaPluginCocoa.b undle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/Support/Deploy.bundle/Contents/Resources/JavaPluginCocoa.b undle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk15/hpux-pa_risc2.0/libprofilerinterface.sl", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk15/hpux-pa_risc2.0/libprofilerinterface.sl".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk15/hpux-pa_risc2.0w/libprofilerinterface.sl", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk15/hpux-pa_risc2.0w/libprofilerinterface.sl".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk16/hpux-pa_risc2.0/libprofilerinterface.sl", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk16/hpux-pa_risc2.0/libprofilerinterface.sl".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk16/hpux-pa_risc2.0w/libprofilerinterface.sl", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Java/Support/VisualVM.bundle/Contents/Home/profiler3/lib/deploy ed/jdk16/hpux-pa_risc2.0w/libprofilerinterface.sl".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Classes/jconsole.jar ", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Classes/jconsole.jar ".
User differs on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Home/lib", should be 95, user is 0.
Repaired "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Home/lib".
User differs on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Libraries", should be 95, user is 0.
Repaired "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Libraries".
Permissions differ on "usr/bin/awk", should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -r-xr-xr-x .
Repaired "usr/bin/awk".
Permissions differ on "usr/bin/iconv", should be -r-xr-xr-x , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "usr/bin/iconv".
Permissions differ on "usr/lib/libcharset.1.dylib", should be -r-xr-xr-x , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/lib/libcharset.1.dylib".
Permissions differ on "usr/lib/libiconv.2.dylib", should be -r-xr-xr-x , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/lib/libiconv.2.dylib".
Group differs on "usr/lib/libutil1.0.dylib", should be 80, group is 0.
Repaired "usr/lib/libutil1.0.dylib".
Group differs on "usr/lib/libz.1.1.3.dylib", should be 80, group is 0.
Repaired "usr/lib/libz.1.1.3.dylib".
Group differs on "usr/lib/libz.dylib", should be 80, group is 0.
Repaired "usr/lib/libz.dylib".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/cafebabe", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/cafebabe".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/compress", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/compress".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/database", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/database".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/erlang", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/erlang".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/filesystems", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/filesystems".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/fonts", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/fonts".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/fortran", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/fortran".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/linux", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/linux".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/lisp", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/lisp".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/python", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/python".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/troff", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/troff".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/file/magic/windows", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -r--r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/file/magic/windows".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/man/man1/bzcmp.1", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/man/man1/bzcmp.1".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/man/man1/bzegrep.1", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/man/man1/bzegrep.1".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/man/man1/bzfgrep.1", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/man/man1/bzfgrep.1".
Permissions differ on "usr/share/man/man1/bzless.1", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Repaired "usr/share/man/man1/bzless.1".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Resources/JavaPlugin Cocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Resources/JavaPlugin Cocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar".
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Resources/JavaPlugin Cocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/libdeploy.jnilib", should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Repaired "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Resources/JavaPlugin Cocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/libdeploy.jnilib".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf".
Repaired "private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/apache2/users".
Repaired "private/etc/apache2/users".
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Preferences/Audio".
Repaired "Library/Preferences/Audio".
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Preferences/com.apple.alf.plist".
Repaired "Library/Preferences/com.apple.alf.plist".
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Scripts/Script Editor Scripts/Dialogs/Dialog - 1 Btn.scpt".
Repaired "Library/Scripts/Script Editor Scripts/Dialogs/Dialog - 1 Btn.scpt".
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAg ent" has been modified and will not be repaired.
ACL found but not expected on "System/Library/Keychains/X509Anchors".
Repaired "System/Library/Keychains/X509Anchors".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/hostconfig".
Repaired "private/etc/hostconfig".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/hosts".
Repaired "private/etc/hosts".
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/db/launchd.db/com.apple.launchd".
Repaired "private/var/db/launchd.db/com.apple.launchd".
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/yp/binding".
Repaired "private/var/yp/binding".
*Permissions repair complete*
*Verify permissions for “Hybrid”*
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Classes/jconsole.ja r", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
User differs on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home/lib", should be 0, user is 95.
User differs on "System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Libraries", should be 0, user is 95.
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Java/Support/Deploy.bundle/Contents/Resources/JavaPluginCocoa.b undle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Classes/jconsole.jar ", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Deploy.bundle/ Contents/Resources/JavaPluginCocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar", should be lrwxr-xr-x , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Resources/JavaPlugin Cocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/deploy.jar", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.6.0/Resources/JavaPlugin Cocoa.bundle/Contents/Resources/Java/libdeploy.jnilib", should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/apache2/users".
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Preferences/Audio".
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Preferences/com.apple.alf.plist".
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Scripts/Script Editor Scripts/Dialogs/Dialog - 1 Btn.scpt".
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAg ent" has been modified and will not be repaired.
ACL found but not expected on "System/Library/Keychains/X509Anchors".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/hostconfig".
ACL found but not expected on "private/etc/hosts".
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/db/launchd.db/com.apple.launchd".
ACL found but not expected on "private/var/yp/binding".
*Permissions verification complete*

jackjames wrote:
*Permissions repair complete*
as long as you see this, you're ok.
JGG

Disk utility can't repair the Macintosh HD, asking toback up all files as possible? and how to reformat the disk?

disk utility can't repair the Macintosh HD, asking toback up all files as possible? and how to reformat the disk?

Some problems can indeed be fixed this way. But working from Recovery_HD or Disk Warrior DVDs and working in the restricted environment those provide can be difficult. You can literally spend days working on this problem (while your regular work is unavailable) only to discover the old drive is unsalvageable.
There is no way to know up front whether you are facing a major Hardware failure or a minor software glitch, or something in between. Often you are forced to work from the drive you no longer trust. I continue to recommend you do this work from a different, fully functioning Mac OS X booted from a different drive.
If you have had the foresight to (as The hatter often recommends) clone your virgin install onto another drive for use in such situations, you will be able to recover from such problems in record time. If not, my previous recommendations stands:
Buy a new Drive. Or two. Install Mac OS X from scratch on a new drive, and get your Mac running again. Later, you can use the full power of Mac OS X to attempt to rescue your data, if needed. Then Zero the old drive, to see if it can hold data again reliably.
If the old drive eventually provides some needed data, and is salvageable, Merry Christmas.

Disk Utility reports 'Volume could not be repaired' Now what?

Disk Utility reports that my internal HD cannot be repaired (I tried booting to the installation CD as-well-as a Superduper image with the same result). Here is the complete dialogue:
Verify and Repair disk “iMac_HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Illegal name
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
Repairing volume.
The volume iMac_HD could not be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error
Repair attempted on 1 volume
1 volume could not be repaired
Unfortunately the backup image has the same problem, so no use restoring the internal HD from it. So what do I do now? I read on a forum that the 'illegal name' error is caused by Photoshop CS, but didn't see a solution. Help!
 20" Intel iMac (2.0GB RAM, 256MB VRAM, 500GB HD) Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I get this error occassionally too. In those cases I take my original install dvd, put it in, reboot and hold the c key.
It then starts an install (don't worry, it won't do anything). When the install screen appears, in the top menu you can select Disk Utility.
Repair the disk from there, it will probably manage now. I guess something is interfering with Disk Utility when all of OS X has loaded.
Once the disk is repaired, verify/repair permissions, exit the program and reboot (don't hold and press c this time around).
Hope this helps.
Lars.
20" iMac Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.5)

MB pro shuts off after bootup chime, hd damaged/volumeheader related - disk utility can't repair - how do i recover/backup my files??

Hi guys,
My macbook pro late(dec) 2011, doesn't boot up anymore, it just turns off after the chime (whilst a gray bar is loading a bit and then the MB shuts off)...
This all happened after I upgraded to mavericks, safari and chrome were spontaneously shutting off, my macbook kept restarting (all after recommended app store updates), it had kernel panics etc. Last night after an update it just wouldn't boot up anymore! Pff.. what should i do?
Disk utility can't repair the damaged HD, it had something to do with volume headers..
I basically want to access my macbook's files and documents so that i can transfer them onto an external hd or back them up.. i just want my files afterwards i can reformat or whatever as long as i get the files and contents of my hd back..
Ive read of diskwarrior? Can i burn that on a dvd and insert it into my mac, then start my mac and then it allows me to drag and drop all the contents of my hd onto an external hd?
I need a genius to help me!! A step by step guide would really mean the world to me!!
Thanks in advance mysterious genius!!!

Step 4(a) open Disk Utility from Utilities on the menu bar, then proceed to highlight the external drive in the left sidebar as you say and choosing Partition from the row of buttons that appear top center in the main window of DU.
5(a) click Restore on the bar of buttons top center of the main DU window, then what you say. But use the name you have given the external drive in step 4, Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) is the way it has been formatted, use a name such as Backup or something obvious to you.
Step 7, On the menu bar, click File, then New Finder Window. In the left sidebar you will see Devices and the internal and external drives will be listed. Click the name of the external drive and then in the main part of the window you should see the contents of the external drive. You can click on the folder for Users, then your user name, and see what folders appear...make sure the folders such as Documents, Pictures and whatever else you use appear and have the content you expect to be there.
You want to be sure all the content has been copied over since the step of erasing the internal drive is going to permanently remove it from that drive.
And then after step 8, add step 9, from Utilities on the menu bar, choose Install Mac OS X, and if it asks where to install, choose the internal, Macintosh HD, as where to install.

Disk Utility: "Volume needs repair" - what to do?

I just ran Verify Disk and got this result:
Verifying volume “iBook HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Incorrect block count for file Database3_BROKEN-journal
(It should be 25 instead of 0)
0
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
,1)
1733913 /Library/Logs/Console/501/console.log.0
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1734737)
Checking volume bitmap.
Volume Bit Map needs minor repair
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 8593446 instead of 8593471)
The volume iBook HD needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair
How do I repair this volume?
bob.m.

bob:
Disk Utility reports "Underlying task reported failure" when repairing a volume is a serious directory error which Disk Utility cannot repair.
•I suggest you read through the article.
•Then, if you do not have an up-to-date backup, it will be a good idea to try to save as much as you can of your data.
•The article suggests using a third party utility. Disk Warrior and Tech Tool Pro are the best utilities for this job. You will need to get one of them and run it, by booting from the CD, or installing it on an external firewire drive or on a second Mac which you can then run in Firewire Target Disk Mode.
Please do post back with further questions or comments.
Good luck.
cornelius

Upgraded to 10.5.6 and Disk Utility won't repair?

I upgraded to 10.5.6 and ran Disk Utility and got the report below. Should I be concerned about it?:
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/Filesystems/AppleShare/afpLoad" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/setregion" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Install.framework/Versions/A/Resources/runner " has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/Printers/IOMs/LPRIOM.plugin/Contents/MacOS/LPRIOMHelper" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Group differs on "private/etc/cups", should be 0, group is 26.
Permissions differ on "private/var/spool/cups/cache/rss", should be drwxr-xr-x , they are drwxrwxr-x .
Permissions repair complete

No. TM backups are not usable to downgrade to an earlier version of OS X. Archive and Install is the proper method.
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then quit DU and return to the installer.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Disk Utility can't repair TM backup disk

Hello all
Recently, my external backup disk (a 750 GB WD My Passport) that I use with Time Machine has been acting up. At first, it wouldn't show up on the desktop, but was being recognized in Disk Utility (with the "Time Machine Backup" partition greyed out). After multiple restarts and unplugging/replugging the hard drive, I finally got to be properly recognized, i.e. it showed up on the desktop with the proper Time Machine hard drive icon. So I thought the problem was gone and started a routine backup. However, Time Machine returned an error:
"Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while creating the backup folder."
I search the forums, and followed the advice here: http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/C10.html
I tried repairing the disk, but DU couldn't repair it:
Verify and Repair volume “Time Machine Backups”
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Detected a case-sensitive volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Incorrect number of thread records
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking catalog hierarchy.
Checking extended attributes file.
Checking multi-linked directories.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume file count
(It should be 3991498 instead of 3904049)
Invalid volume directory count
(It should be 678218 instead of 673790)
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 9588404 instead of 11784378)
Volume header needs minor repair
The volume Time Machine Backups was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.
Volume repair complete.Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.
Error: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.
So now I'm still following the advice on the above mentioned page by posting on here. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. I am using a 2010 15in 2.66 i7 MBP, if that makes a difference, although my guess is the problem's with the harddrive itself. I think there may have been one time about a month ago when Time Machine stopped responding (or something like that) which forced me to pull out the harddrive, possibly corrupting the data. But I'm not sure, and I do recall making at least one successful backup after that. Well, actually TM confirms this: "Latest successful backup: 5/27/11 at 11:51 PM". So I have no idea what's going on. Again, any help would be appreciated.

You can't tell what's corrupted or where. Time Machine backups have a very complex structure, all linked together. So, you can often do new backups, or restore individual items, or even entire backups, as long as you don't stumble over the damage.
There's a chance a heavy-duty 3rd-party disk repair app, such as Disk Warrior, can repair them. It's about $100, and probably a good investment for the future, but there's no guarantee it can fix them.
If not, or if you don't want to spend the money, your only option is to erase the disk and let Time Machine start fresh.
It sounds like you may have other data on it; if that's in the same partition, that's not a good idea. This is a good time to copy the data off, erase the disk, and make 2 (or more) partitions on it, so Time Machine has its own, exclusive space. See #3 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions for details and instructions.

Error: Disk Utility can't repair this disk.

My Server's non-boot volume, while using Disk Utility I get the message Volume bitmap needs minor repair for orphaned blocks. Then checking volume information. Invalid volume file count. It should be 472587 instead of 472588; Invalid bolume free block count. It should be 236325120 instead of 236325119. The volume was found corrupt and needs to be repaired. Volume repair complete. Updating boot support partitions for the volume required. Error: Disk Utility can't repair this disk.
I received this error a month ago and replaced the drive. It worked fine for a month, but now I receive the same message.

Did you restore from a time machine backup? If so, what i would suggest is doing an erase then reinstalling, do not restore from time machine during intail setup. Setup a fresh account then use migration assistant to restore from your backup.

Disk Utility - Won't Repair Flash/Thumb Drive

So my Mac froze for some reason, while my Kingston thumb/flash drive was in. I tried to eject it, but I could only force eject (which it said may cause issues). After that, whenever I put the thumb drive in, it said something like the drive won't work and I had to copy the files to my desktop. When I go into disk utility and click repair disk, it says this: "Disk Utility stopped repairing “UNTITLED 1”: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files."
I can't erase the thumbdrive, because it says I need a source, which I don't know what that means.
Can anybody help? The files are useless now as I have transferred them to a CD, so I'm fine with erasing the whole thing. And yes, I know I can get a new on at any store for cheap, but I'd like to know if this can be repaired. Thanks.

You haven't mentioned how the thumb drive was formatted to begin with; is it GUID partition map and Mac OS Extended (Journalled), or is it FAT 32 with MBR partition map?
If it's the latter, DU can't repair it, but should be able to format it. However, the forced ejection may have damaged the file system to prevent that.
If it's FAT32, re-format it on a PC and try again on the Mac.
If it's Mac formatted, you could try erasing and reformatting on another Mac (or as Hackintosh says, from the DVD), but if that doesn't work, try the PC route; reformat to FAT32 on a PC (if the PC will recognise it - thay don't always), then go back to the Mac, repartition and format.
If that fails, it's recycling fodder.

Disk utility reports "Device could not be opened" - error when trying to format a new drive in a Mac Pro 1,1

MacPro 1,1 Quadcore 3 GHz (2006 "Woodcrest")
32 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 5770
OS X 10.7.5 Lion
I have encountered the following behavior when trying to format a new drive with disk utility. This description has also been send via the Mac Pro feedback as a bug report to Apple.
On searching the web and forums with this particular error message and behaviour I could not find any usful results. So maybe the following description may be helpful for some users.
Best regards.
1. Drive Bay 1 contains the original 250 GB Startupdisk. It works without errors.
2. Drive Bays 3 and 4 contain each a WD Caviar Black 2 TB SATA 3 HDD. They work without errors.
3. I have purchased a third WD Caviar Black 2 TB HDD.
4. In Drive Bay 2 there has been a Seagate 750 GB HDD, which worked in conjunction with all the other drives without error.
5. I exchanged the Seagate HDD in Drive Bay 2 with the new WD Caviar Black 2 TB HDD.
6. On starting the system, it will report to initialize the new drive.
7. On trying to initialize the new drive with disk utility it reports the error [translated from German] "Erasing of the volume has failed. The device could not be opened."
8. I thought that the drive is faulty. Thus I created an RMA-Case at WD. They exchanged the drive without problems.
9. On getting the exchanged WD Caviar Black 2 TB drive I put it in Drive Bay 2 as before.
10. On trying to erase and format the exchange drive I got the same error message "Drive could not be opened."
10.1 On selecting the physical drive in the devices list, disk utility reports all information in the bottom area of its window as usual, e. g. hard disk description, connection bus, type and place, capacity, write status, SMART-status, partition scheme.
10.1 On leaving that drive selected in the devices list and clicking the info-button, disk utility will also report additional information as usual, e. g. Name, Type, partition scheme, media-identification, media name, media type, device tree, … , number of relocated sectors, etc.. All this information appears to be valid, as can be compared to the other devices information inside the other Drive Bays. Also the disk numbering scheme appears to be standard - 4 HDDs give the numbering disk0, disk1, disk2, disk3.
10.2 From that information I conclude that the SATA-bus and connectors electrically work properly, the drive has spun up and can be accessed by the system normally.
11. I powered down the computer, took out the HDDs from Drive Bays 3 and 4 and put the caddy with the new exchange drive in Drive Bay 4 [Maybe, I could have also just left it alone in Drive Bay 2, or 3].
12. After powering on the system, disk utility will quick format the exchange drive without any error message. Also, when erasing again by selecting the option to write zeros to the drive, disk utility will finish without error.
13. After disk utility finished formatting, I put back the original drives into Drive Bay 3 and 4 and put the now newly formatted drive back into Drive Bay 2.
14. After switching on the computer the system start and login proceeds without any error message. All drives appear as expected on the desktop.

If anyone is reading this still looking for what caused the issue and how to fix it here is what I discovered.
The antivirus program our company uses, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, was causing some of the PDF files not to open. After troubleshooting the different modules and settings the culprit was..
Scan SSL in Privacy Control Settings. Turning it OFF solved the problem and all the PDF files that previously would not open now open just fine. This issue has been sent to Bitdefender for them to review. If you use a different antivirus program and are having this issue try locating the Scan SSL setting and see if turning it off solves the problem.

After getting the dreaded gray/blue screen, I tried to run disk repair on the internal disk. I got an error message saying "Disk Utility can't repair this disk and restore your backed-up files. The volume Macintosh HD could not be verified completely

After getting the dreaded gray/blue screen, I tried to run disk repair on the internal disk. I got an error message saying "Disk Utility can't repair this disk and restore your backed-up files. The volume Macintosh HD could not be verified completely." What do I do now? This is an iMac and I'm running 10.6.8.

Clean Install of Snow Leopard
Be sure to make a backup first because the following procedure will erase
the drive and everything on it. See below for how to clone a drive.
     1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
         with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
         After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see
         a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
     2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue
         button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
         After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive
         size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of
         partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
         and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
         (Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.
     3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed
         with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
     4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup
         Assistant. Be sure you configure your initial admin account with the exact same
         username and password that you used on your old drive. After you finish Setup
         Assistant will complete the installation after which you will be running a fresh
         install of OS X. You can now begin the update process by opening Software
         Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your installation current.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
You may be able to backup your data if you have an erased external drive you can use. Before you do the above but after you have opened Disk Utility you can try to clone your drive:
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag
       it to the Destination entry field.
5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to
      the Source entry field.
6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
Now this will only work if the drive is accessible and can be cloned by Disk Utility. Otherwise, you would need to access your drive from another Mac that you can connect via Firewire - Target Disk Mode.

Can I fix a disk with this message?-Disk Utility can't repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.

Can I fix a disk with this message?
Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.

Some problems can indeed be fixed this way. But working from Recovery_HD or Disk Warrior DVDs and working in the restricted environment those provide can be difficult. You can literally spend days working on this problem (while your regular work is unavailable) only to discover the old drive is unsalvageable.
There is no way to know up front whether you are facing a major Hardware failure or a minor software glitch, or something in between. Often you are forced to work from the drive you no longer trust. I continue to recommend you do this work from a different, fully functioning Mac OS X booted from a different drive.
If you have had the foresight to (as The hatter often recommends) clone your virgin install onto another drive for use in such situations, you will be able to recover from such problems in record time. If not, my previous recommendations stands:
Buy a new Drive. Or two. Install Mac OS X from scratch on a new drive, and get your Mac running again. Later, you can use the full power of Mac OS X to attempt to rescue your data, if needed. Then Zero the old drive, to see if it can hold data again reliably.
If the old drive eventually provides some needed data, and is salvageable, Merry Christmas.

External Hard Drive Disk Utility Can't Repair the Disk

Hi,
I have a Seagate 1 TB Backup Plus Drive which was working perfectly fine until I plugged it into a USB hub. It detected it while in the hub and I was able to get files off of it, but when I ejected it from the hub and put it back into the USB slot on the computer it was not detected by finder. It shows up in the disk utility and I clicked verify and repair and it says:
Verify and Repair volume “Seagate Backup Plus Drive”
Checking file system
Volume repair complete.
Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.
Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.
Is there any way to get this to work properly again? Or if not is there a way for me to recover my files on the external hard drive?
Thanks
I have a Macbook PRO late 2011 running OS X Mavericks.

Use a more powerful utility such as DiskWarrior, or a product such as those listed here.
(108710)

Disk Utility can't repair or verify?

Hi, my 12 G4 powerbook is running fine except the fan is on nearly all the time. I thought I'd try to repair (or verify) disk permissions to see if that might possible help. But every time I run it on the HD, it just spins for maybe 10 min then gives an error message indicated failure. Why can't Disk Utility find the permissions? The disk otherwise works fine. There's no partition and i'm the only user.
Thanks.
-wayne

HI Wayne,
*"thought I'd try to repair (or verify) disk permissions to see if that might possible help. But every time I run it on the HD, it just spins for maybe 10 min then gives an error message indicated failure."*
You can repair disk permissions from the Disk Utility application already on the drive. (Applications/Utilities) but I doubt that's the issue here.
Try resetting the PMU, *(not SMC)* instructions here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1431 Read the article carefully before doing this.
Can you boot from your restore disk? Restart your PBook while holding down the C key, pressing the power button and inserting your restore disk all at the same time. An Installer window will open, but do not proceed with any installations. Instead, from the Menu Bar, select Utilities > Disk Utility. In the Disk Utility window click First Aid, and then click Verify. If Disk Utility reports errors, click Repair. When Disk Utility is finished, from the Menu Bar, select Utilities/Startup Disk. Select MacintoshHD 10.x.x and click Restart.
If Disk Utility cannot repair the disk, there are several good disk utilities to look at. One is DiskWarrior and the other is TechToolPro.
Carolyn

Disk Utility reports minor repair required - how risky is this?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for